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Responses to language barriers in consultations with refugees and asylum seekers: a telephone survey of Irish general practitioners.
MacFarlane, Anne Glynn, Liam G Mosinkie, Phillip I Murphy, Andrew W
MacFarlane, Anne
Glynn, Liam G
Mosinkie, Phillip I
Murphy, Andrew W
Advisors
Editors
Other Contributors
Date
2008
Date Submitted
Keywords
Other Subjects
Subject Mesh
Adult
Communication Barriers
Family Practice
Female
Health Care Surveys
Health Services Accessibility
Humans
Ireland
Language
Male
Middle Aged
Multilingualism
Physician-Patient Relations
Questionnaires
Refugees
Communication Barriers
Family Practice
Female
Health Care Surveys
Health Services Accessibility
Humans
Ireland
Language
Male
Middle Aged
Multilingualism
Physician-Patient Relations
Questionnaires
Refugees
Planned Date
Start Date
Collaborators
Principal Investigators
Files
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19102735.pdf
Adobe PDF, 356.27 KB
Alternative Titles
Publisher
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Refugees and asylum seekers experience language barriers in general practice. Qualitative studies have found that responses to language barriers in general practice are ad hoc with use of both professional interpreters and informal interpreters (patients' relatives or friends). However, the scale of the issues involved is unknown. This study quantifies the need for language assistance in general practice consultations and examines the experience of, and satisfaction with, methods of language assistance utilized. METHODS: Data were collected by telephone survey with general practitioners in a regional health authority in Ireland between July-August 2004. Each respondent was asked a series of questions about consulting with refugees and asylum seekers, the need for language assistance and the kind of language assistance used. RESULTS: There was a 70% (n = 56/80) response rate to the telephone survey. The majority of respondents (77%) said that they had experienced consultations with refugees and asylum seekers in which language assistance was required. Despite this, general practitioners in the majority of cases managed without an interpreter or used informal methods of interpretation. In fact, when given a choice general practitioners would more often choose informal over professional methods of interpretation despite the fact that confidentiality was a significant concern. CONCLUSION: The need for language assistance in consultations with refugees and asylum seekers in Irish general practice is high. General practitioners rely on informal responses. It is necessary to improve knowledge about the organisational contexts that shape general practitioners responses. We also recommend dialogue between general practitioners, patients and interpreters about the relative merits of informal and professional methods of interpretation so that general practitioners' choices are responsive to the needs of patients with limited English.
Language
en
ISSN
1471-2296
eISSN
ISBN
DOI
10.1186/1471-2296-9-68
PMID
19102735